Dark age re-enactment with commentary

Shot some years ago on silent Super-8mm film, this footage shows three fights over the same ground, followed by a different fight on a steep slope. The fighters are using full-weight iron weapons (largely mild steel). Helmets and gloves are worn for safety, but the main things that keep people safe are training are common sense.

These are not choreographed fights. These people are genuinely trying to hit each other, and the outcomes of the fights are in doubt until the end. The combat system was pretty simple. A hit to an arm or leg rendered it useless (drop weapon, fall over). A hit to the torso was a kill. Hands, feet, and heads were not legal targets. The man taking the hit decided whether the hit was good, not the man dishing it out. Any armour worn was for decoration, and had no function in the combat system.

The early stages of each fight were usually slow, with each shieldwall trying to find a way around or through the other, trying to create gaps by manoeuvre or inflicting casualties. When one side's formation became untenable, the fight would very suddenly change nature and everyone on both sides would drop spears and swap to shorter weapons as quickly as possible. Many people got killed during the changeover. There was seldom time to throw a spear - dropping it was much quicker (although throwing spears was also considered too dangerous).

With as few as three people, it was worth forming a line and using spears at first. Once an opponent had closed with a shorter weapon, however, hanging on to a spear was suicide.

There are many re-enactment groups in the world, and many have very different combat systems, and all seem convinced that theirs is by far the best. When different groups meet for battle, every single one later reports that it consistently slaughtered all the others. Some fight with smooth weapons, and actually hit each other, as shown here. Others fight with jagged burred weapons and never make contact. Some count armour as effective. Some wear thick foam padding under their armour, expecting hard blows. Some fight with wooden weapons. Each gains a different view of what real fighting was like.

Re-enactment falls short of reality in many ways. One of the greatest unrealistic aspects of it is that people do not destroy other people's lovingly-made kit. In reality, one way to deal with an opponent's spear or shield was to smash it to bits. Fear is not a great factor in re-enactments, nor morale, as people on both sides are generally happy to enter battle, and will fight to the last even when clearly on the losing side.

www.LloydianAspects.co.uk

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• dark
• age
• early
• medieval
• mediaeval
• anglo
• saxon
• celt
• romano
• british
• arthurian
• fight
• battle
• skirmish
• spear
• sword
• shield
• shieldwall
• spearwall
• tactics
• charge
• re-enactment
• reenactment
• reinactment

[olelumpy]

Man, canada needs medieval style reinactments. All we got is reinactments of how Joe the lumberjack won his war against trees. Not terribly exciting.

[lindybeige]

@olelumpy Don't you all then balance on the logs and race downstream in checked shirts?

[demomanchaos]

You should do more of these.

I disagree with the spear bit. A spearmen without a shield can generally do well in single combat against sword and shield if he can control the distance. It would also really help if he used a shield on his back. In my viking reenactment group, the polearmed guys wear backshields and are very difficult to kill.

[lindybeige]

@demomanchaos It is difficult to run backwards over uncertain terrain faster than a foe can run forwards.

So how did you use the back-slung shields? Did you parry with them by turning on the spot? A heavy blow against a slung shield would transfer a lot more punch to the man than a held shield, but I suppose you couldn't simulate that in re-enactment.

[lebarosky]

Great film excellent re-enactment. I really enjoy how much information you get from these. Do you have a theory why the housecarles of the 11th century preferred the long battleaxes depicted on the Bayeau Tapestry to spears?

[lindybeige]

@lebarosky I don't think we have reason to believe that whole units of these men used axes solely. A big axe is a good shield splitter, so a few brave men in one part of the line might be able to make a breach...

[LucanJacups]

The guy in the brown with the long hair seems to have racked up quite the bodycount.

[lindybeige]

@TheKittu Politeness and consideration.

[Melthornal]

This video makes me sad. I used to do these sorts of fight at least once a week, sometimes 2-3 times a week. But I haven't in two years. :( I specialized with spear in one hand, sword in the other. That and sword and shield, for when everyone banned me from using a spear after I went undefeated for a long period of time. :p But seriously, sword and spear is a wonderful weapon combination. Need to have a strong spear arm, though. And very good hand/eye for punch blocking.

[olelumpy]

@lindybeige Don't be absurd, we have wear normal woolen sweaters as well.

[KnockoffNigeI]

Yes, "The prodding stage" mmm.

[demomanchaos]

@lindybeige In your normal spear stance your side is what is pointing to the enemy, so you don't have to turn for it to have effect. You only have to parry attacks coming to your front because the shield keeps your back safe. You can do turns if needed. The backshield keeps you covered as you try to create distance.

I can send you some videos from our group that show what I'm talking about. It is one of those things ever shown than described.

[NIKOLAKION]

This is great material. And probably the only way to really understand how ancient fighting really took place. I wish we had more of that in Greece. Maybe we could figure out what gave the Macedonian phalanx "frontal" superiority and all those questions some of us have when we read history. Iphicrates, Cleomenes etc